My general story - nausea and negative thoughts

[MiniatureDisasters]

Sorry, this might be a bit long I'm just venting. I've pretty much been up all night with stomach upset and nausea except for a couple of hours sleep. It's my own fault really as I had a couple of glasses of wine and some cigarettes (I smoke less than once a year normally so it has more effect on me) but I should have known it was going to cause this. My panic has been particularly bad this week, I actually thought it had gone until it came back on Monday. I've pretty much had a panic attack every day this week, though they're not major ones and I manage to keep them under control. I wake up feeling nervous and worry they're going to happen on the bus and then I spend most of the bus journey trying to breathe deeply and convince myself not to get off the bus in the middle of nowhere (bad idea). I don't tend to get breathing problems it's more nausea, upset stomach, feeling of panic like it's going to build to a hysteria that won't stop and just general weird feeling.

I don't tend to actively stress about stuff in that my mind seems to block the conscious part that think worried thoughts, so all the stress comes out in these symptom like nausea and upset stomach. I know because I used to get these before things like interviews, even though mentally (consciously at least) I wasn't thinking worried thoughts but physically I'd fall to pieces (upset stomach nausea). Now they're happening with no seeming immediate trigger.

Think maybe this week I was stressing about my boyfriend being away this weekend. I'm meeting him later in the week and I'm also now stressing about having a panic on public transport by myself. We moved to a new place a year or so ago and I haven't really made friends outside of work. These panics are making me feel a bit clingy, it's like he's the only person I have to rely on, also when I'm feeling vulnerable I keep having scary thoughts that he's going to die and I can't get them out of my head. It's particularly bad this weekend as he's doing some outdoor activities thought not exactly "dangerous" there's an element of risk. It's not just that though, I worry about him being in a car crash, I worry about ridiculous scenarios like him choking or a car mounting the pavement etc etc Either these thoughts trigger the nausea, or if I get nausea it triggers the thoughts (seems to run both ways). Emailed to see about getting counselling last night because I just want to be healthy. I just want to go to sleep now :( I think this has happened because I expected it to because a) my boyfriends away and b) I had some drinks.

Anyway, it would be nice to hear if anyone has had similar experiences if you managed to read through that lot.

[Jaco45er]

Hiya MD

Those thoughts are pretty common with GAD (General Anx). I used to get them a lot, usually about my kids being ill or harmed or me being in a car crash (never my wife funny enough, maybe it's because she can't cook? ;)).

What you will find with anxiety is, some periods of time are worse than others. You will probably get times of almost anxiety free living and others were your anxiety/panic just feels like it's going to overwhelm you and any moment.

Why we get like this I am not too sure, but I do know that when you are feeling particuarly anxious, your mind is very sensitied, so that if you do have a couple of cheeky wee wines, coffee extra it's usually enough to push the anxiety even higher (hence tummy upsets).

It's important to recognise when you are in this state of anxiety, and to avoid the alcohol, ciggies, coffee, spicy foods as these all contribute to keep you in the anxious state.

Have a word with your GP about a therapy called CBT. This therapy recognises that anxiety comes from how we think. How our mind thinks is directly related to how our bodies feel, so when we think bad stuff, you will will physically feel unwell due to chemicals whizzing around your body.

Also check out Hope and help for your nerves by Claire Weekes. This is a self help book that explains this negative thinking, and goes on to explain how to counteract these thoughts.

TC

Jaco